A call for nation building
Published Jun 9, 2019 01:28 pm
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
Descendants of revolutionaries face a continuous battle –not in the same landscape of armed struggle, but in various initiatives that contribute to nation building.
(Photo by ali vicoy)
Teresita Daza Baltazar, whose grandfather – Don Eugenio Salazar Daza –was the brains of the 1902 Balangiga Encounter, and whose father – Gabriel – was the co-founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, calls your attention to sit up and listen when she says:
“You build your nation because there is work to be done. Independence just sets you free but what you do after, it is nation-building. Love of country makes you contribute to nation-building.”
The 82-year old Baltazar has done her share in nation-building. She facilitated the launching of the Good Citizenship Movement (GCM) in March 2003 as its coordinator under the previous Arroyo administration.
She was also a former Commissioner of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission and an active member of various organizations involved in the anti-dictatorship struggle from 1983 to 1986.
During the interview for this story, she had the task to further our knowledge on the significance of the Balangiga bells which was returned to the Philippines recently.
It was her grandfather’s request since Dec. 23, 1935, to bring back the Balangiga bells, she said.
The Balangiga bells, which were seized as “trophies of war” by the United States Army in 1901 during the Philippine-American War, arrived in the country on December 11, 2018.
“My grandfather made an affidavit in 1935 to narrate events of the Balangiga encounter. The purpose of that affidavit was to request for the bells to be returned. The request was made in 1935,” she said.
She recalled how her grandfather, strategically planned and led the Filipino revolutionary soldiers in the Battle of Balangiga in Eastern Samar against the American forces on September 28, 1901.
"My grandfathers’ story was that the weapons were put in a casket and they, all the revolutionaries, were dressed as old women so they can enter.
They also told the Americans, that the man in the casket had died of cholera that’s why they could not open the casket.
That is how they brought the weapons in and this was how they planned the attack. They went to all villages and told them, “When we ring the Church bell, you come and help us.”
She noted that the Battle of Balangiga showed that “the superior weapons can be outsmarted by smarter guerrillas like Filipinos.”
“It was a stunning victory, it is a lesson for everyone –the brains can outsmart the might,” she said.
After the war, Don Eugenio was appointed at the First Philippine Assembly as representative of the third district of Samar.
He died on December 16, 1954, at the age of 84.
"Revolutionary" by blood
“It (being a revolutionary) is in our blood, we are all into good causes,” Baltazar said.
“My father was in the Red Cross for the longest time. Aside from a regular job, he was doing all those good things and it is in our blood we are doing the same thing,” she said.
Gabriel was an educator and became the first Filipino licensed electrical engineer with a license number 001, according to Outgoing Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza, Eugenio’s distant relative and a cousin of Baltazar.
Revolution: A family affair
From another member of that family – historian Eugenio Roy Daza said that his grandfather – Don Eugenio -- was a teacher before he joined the revolution.
“Lolo financed his own revolution,” he said.
“His father was rich. I think he was the number 2 taxpayer in Samar. So, when he joined, the family of each member of the core group got half a sack of rice every month plus 10 centavos a month as allowance,” Daza, the historian, said.
He said his grandfather did not have a hard time convincing the people of Balangiga to join the resolution since almost all of them were relatives.
“Kaya nakumbinse nya mga taga Balangiga to join him kasi pinsan nya lahat ang mga ‘yun, remember the revolution is run by relatives,” he said.
He said the Daza clan was originally from Catbalogan, then moved to Zumarraga Island in Samar.
Eugenio Roy said his father, Juan, was the youngest son of Don Eugenio, the Balangiga hero. Juan was a guerilla who fought against the Japanese occupation where he was arrested and detained in prison.
Juan was a military man by profession and was a member of the Hunters ROTC guerrillas during the Japanese time.
During the Marcos administration, Juan was detained at Fort Bonifacio for seven years. Among his prison mates were Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and Jose “Pepe” Diokno.
Meanwhile, a distant relative was also detained during those years. Outgoing Rep. Raul Daza said even though was detained and charged in court during Marcos time, he did not file a claim, along with his cousin, Baltazar.
“What I did for my country and for the cause of democracy cannot be measured monetarily, it is beyond,” said the veteran lawmaker.
Rep. Daza was the first Filipino to pass both California Attorney and Certified Public Accountant examinations without receiving a formal education in the United States.
Rep. Daza, who started serving as a first district representative of Northern Samar in 1969, was among the nine members of Congress who did not sign the “Marcos Constitution”.
“When martial law was declared, the members of Congress at that time were given an option to serve in the so-called Batasang Pambansa. You would have that option to serve in the new Batasang Pambansa if you sign the Constitution that was adopted during that time, the so-called Marcos Constitution. We were 105 congressmen, nine of us did not sign and one of them was the former Speaker Jose Laurel Jr. himself,” he said.
He left for the United States in 1973 and stayed there for 12 years. It was in 1985 when he decided to come home.
His son, incoming Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, said everyone should think of how they can contribute to nation building regardless of party affiliation.
"For every Filipino, the best way to commemorate June 12 Independence day is to think of nation-building on how you can contribute to nation-building in your own little or big way.”
Hero of the kitchen
Perhaps the most popular "hero" among them is celebrity chef Alejandro “Sandy” Daza, who was fondly tagged by his relatives as “the hero of the kitchen.”
The son of culinary icon Nora Daza said he has been actively promoting Filipino food abroad and leading culinary tours as part of his kitchen 'war exploits.'
“We had a Philippine restaurant in Paris, every time a French diner would say, “Your food is so good," I am so proud dapat ganun tayo we are proud to be Filipino and that started my desire to promote Filipino food abroad. This is Pinoy food,” Chef Sandy, one of Eugenio Daza’s great-grandchildren said.
(Photo by ali vicoy)
Teresita Daza Baltazar, whose grandfather – Don Eugenio Salazar Daza –was the brains of the 1902 Balangiga Encounter, and whose father – Gabriel – was the co-founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, calls your attention to sit up and listen when she says:
“You build your nation because there is work to be done. Independence just sets you free but what you do after, it is nation-building. Love of country makes you contribute to nation-building.”
The 82-year old Baltazar has done her share in nation-building. She facilitated the launching of the Good Citizenship Movement (GCM) in March 2003 as its coordinator under the previous Arroyo administration.
She was also a former Commissioner of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission and an active member of various organizations involved in the anti-dictatorship struggle from 1983 to 1986.
During the interview for this story, she had the task to further our knowledge on the significance of the Balangiga bells which was returned to the Philippines recently.
It was her grandfather’s request since Dec. 23, 1935, to bring back the Balangiga bells, she said.
The Balangiga bells, which were seized as “trophies of war” by the United States Army in 1901 during the Philippine-American War, arrived in the country on December 11, 2018.
“My grandfather made an affidavit in 1935 to narrate events of the Balangiga encounter. The purpose of that affidavit was to request for the bells to be returned. The request was made in 1935,” she said.
She recalled how her grandfather, strategically planned and led the Filipino revolutionary soldiers in the Battle of Balangiga in Eastern Samar against the American forces on September 28, 1901.
"My grandfathers’ story was that the weapons were put in a casket and they, all the revolutionaries, were dressed as old women so they can enter.
They also told the Americans, that the man in the casket had died of cholera that’s why they could not open the casket.
That is how they brought the weapons in and this was how they planned the attack. They went to all villages and told them, “When we ring the Church bell, you come and help us.”
She noted that the Battle of Balangiga showed that “the superior weapons can be outsmarted by smarter guerrillas like Filipinos.”
“It was a stunning victory, it is a lesson for everyone –the brains can outsmart the might,” she said.
After the war, Don Eugenio was appointed at the First Philippine Assembly as representative of the third district of Samar.
He died on December 16, 1954, at the age of 84.
"Revolutionary" by blood
“It (being a revolutionary) is in our blood, we are all into good causes,” Baltazar said.
“My father was in the Red Cross for the longest time. Aside from a regular job, he was doing all those good things and it is in our blood we are doing the same thing,” she said.
Gabriel was an educator and became the first Filipino licensed electrical engineer with a license number 001, according to Outgoing Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza, Eugenio’s distant relative and a cousin of Baltazar.
Revolution: A family affair
From another member of that family – historian Eugenio Roy Daza said that his grandfather – Don Eugenio -- was a teacher before he joined the revolution.
“Lolo financed his own revolution,” he said.
“His father was rich. I think he was the number 2 taxpayer in Samar. So, when he joined, the family of each member of the core group got half a sack of rice every month plus 10 centavos a month as allowance,” Daza, the historian, said.
He said his grandfather did not have a hard time convincing the people of Balangiga to join the resolution since almost all of them were relatives.
“Kaya nakumbinse nya mga taga Balangiga to join him kasi pinsan nya lahat ang mga ‘yun, remember the revolution is run by relatives,” he said.
He said the Daza clan was originally from Catbalogan, then moved to Zumarraga Island in Samar.
Eugenio Roy said his father, Juan, was the youngest son of Don Eugenio, the Balangiga hero. Juan was a guerilla who fought against the Japanese occupation where he was arrested and detained in prison.
Juan was a military man by profession and was a member of the Hunters ROTC guerrillas during the Japanese time.
During the Marcos administration, Juan was detained at Fort Bonifacio for seven years. Among his prison mates were Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and Jose “Pepe” Diokno.
Meanwhile, a distant relative was also detained during those years. Outgoing Rep. Raul Daza said even though was detained and charged in court during Marcos time, he did not file a claim, along with his cousin, Baltazar.
“What I did for my country and for the cause of democracy cannot be measured monetarily, it is beyond,” said the veteran lawmaker.
Rep. Daza was the first Filipino to pass both California Attorney and Certified Public Accountant examinations without receiving a formal education in the United States.
Rep. Daza, who started serving as a first district representative of Northern Samar in 1969, was among the nine members of Congress who did not sign the “Marcos Constitution”.
“When martial law was declared, the members of Congress at that time were given an option to serve in the so-called Batasang Pambansa. You would have that option to serve in the new Batasang Pambansa if you sign the Constitution that was adopted during that time, the so-called Marcos Constitution. We were 105 congressmen, nine of us did not sign and one of them was the former Speaker Jose Laurel Jr. himself,” he said.
He left for the United States in 1973 and stayed there for 12 years. It was in 1985 when he decided to come home.
His son, incoming Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, said everyone should think of how they can contribute to nation building regardless of party affiliation.
"For every Filipino, the best way to commemorate June 12 Independence day is to think of nation-building on how you can contribute to nation-building in your own little or big way.”
Hero of the kitchen
Perhaps the most popular "hero" among them is celebrity chef Alejandro “Sandy” Daza, who was fondly tagged by his relatives as “the hero of the kitchen.”
The son of culinary icon Nora Daza said he has been actively promoting Filipino food abroad and leading culinary tours as part of his kitchen 'war exploits.'
“We had a Philippine restaurant in Paris, every time a French diner would say, “Your food is so good," I am so proud dapat ganun tayo we are proud to be Filipino and that started my desire to promote Filipino food abroad. This is Pinoy food,” Chef Sandy, one of Eugenio Daza’s great-grandchildren said.